Hosiery packaging



Oct. 22, 1957 H. s. MclNNEs ETAL HosIERY PACKAGING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'ricain Filed June 17, 1955 nited States Patent O HOSIERY PACKAGING Henry S. McInnes, Reading, Pa., and George R. Stafford, deceased, late of Reading, Pa., by Veronica H. Stafford, administran-ix, Reading, Pa., assignors to Camp and Mclnnes, Inc., Reading, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvanla Application June 17, 1955, Serial No. 516,286

3 Claims. (Cl. 206-80) This invention relates to hosiery packaging. More especially, it is concerned with the packaging of short stockings such as socks or the like, particularly those knitted from resilient yarn commonly known as stretch yarn.

Hosiery of the kind particularly referred to is unattractive by reason of its shrivelled appearance when relaxed which, in many instances, detracts from its ready saleability.

The chief aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawback. This objective is realized in practice, as hereinafter more fully disclosed, through provision of a ilat elongate mounting of suitably stiff sheet material having a sloped edge at the bottom over which the foot portions of the stockings or socks of a superposed pair are folded along the diagonals across the insteps and then longitudinally stretched, and a top edge at right angles over which a retaining strip of flexible material is lapped and its ends detachably secured to the exposed faces of the toe and the top of the outermost stocking of the pair. When thus packed, the stockings or socks not only present an attractive appearance for selling purposes, but are better adapted for ready stacking or boxing in quantity for the trade.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a hosiery package conveniently embodying the invention in one form.

Fig. 2 is a section of the package taken as indicated by the angled arrows II-II in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. l showing an a1- ternative embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken as indicated by the angled arrows IV--IV in Fig. 3.

With more detailed reference rst to Figs. 1 and 2 of these illustrations, the species of the invention there illustrated comprises a thin at elongate mounting 1 which may be of cardboard, plastic or any other suitably stiif material, having a medially-notched transverse edge 2 at right angles at the top, and a sloped transverse slot 3 adjacent the bottom. In making up the package, the leg portions of a pair of superposed stockings or socks S and S' are threaded through the slot 3 and their leg and foot portions brought up opposite sides of the mounting. With this accomplished, the leg and foot portions are stretched upwardly, whereupon a retaining strip 4 of flexible material is lapped over the top edge of the mounting and the ends thereof are detachably secured to the exposed faces of the stretched leg and foot portions of the outermost stocking or sock S of the pair. The strip 4 may be of fabric tape or of paper with an adhesive backing such as a characterizing or advertising label of the kind ordinarily applied to hosiery. It is to be particularly noted that the slot 3 is sloped to correspond with the natural inclination of the diagonal lines across the insteps of the stockings or socks about which the latter fold when the foot portions are aligned with the leg portions. It is to be further noted that, in this instance, the mounting is shaped to correspond substantially with the outline of the folded pair of stockings or socks, and that its top corners are cut away at bevel as at 5 to approximate the shape of the toe tips. When thus packaged, the stockings or socks present a neat and attractive appearance which adds greatly to their ready saleability since both the leg and the foot portions are exposed in flat condition for inspection of the texture and gauge of the knitting. Moreover, when so packed, the hosiery is readily stacked vertically for convenience of display in retailing establishments, or for boxing in quantity for marketing to wholesalers.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the mounting 1a is rectangular oblong, and in addition to an inclined slot 3a at the bottom, has a slot 2a at right angles adjacent the top through which the tops of the stockings or socks are passed, the strip or label 4 being lapped over the top edge of the mounting and its ends attached as in the irst described embodiment to hold the stockings or socks in stretched condition. The fringe areas of the mounting 1a in Figs. 3 and 4 may be conveniently utilized for printing or impressing thereon of ornamentation or of advertising matter.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

l. A package for a pair of socks comprising a mounting card of suitably stiff sheet material shaped to correspond substantially to that of the socks when folded about a line diagonally of the heels, and having a slot adjacent the bottom thereof sloped to correspond with the heel diagonals of the socks, the leg portions of the socks being passed through the slot to bring the heel diagonals into coincidence with the slot and overlaid upwardly upon the front of the card, and the foot portions of the socks being brought upwardly of the back of the card; and a retaining element engaged over the top edge of the card and lapped downwardly over the leg top of the outermost sock of the pair at the front of the package and over the toe of the outermost sock at the back of the package.

2. The invention according to claim l, wherein the top edge of the card is medially notched; and wherein the toe tips of the socks are folded over the notched edge from the back of the package and brought downwardly of the card at the front of the package before application of the retaining element.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Uiich'et a1. oct. 11, 1927 Gosch Nov. 12, 1953 Power et al. June 5, 1956 

